Friction change-speed mechanism.



J. WRAY.

FRICTION CHANGE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 2. 1914.

1,165,354. Patented Dec.21,1915.

" "'uiuiF inn SULUMIHA PLANOGRAPH CQ-,\\'I\SHINGTDS, u. c.

I JAY WRAY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO WASHINGTON I. TURCK, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FRICTION CHANGE-SPEED MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed February 2, 1914. Serial N 0. 815,931.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAY WRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los livered to the driven shaft from opposite sides of a shiftable friction .disk thereon so as to obviate lateral thrusts on either of the shafts and increase traction eflort.

Another object is to provide a change speed friction drive for transmitting variable speeds from a driving shaft to a driven shaft by which the shafts may be arranged in vertical alinement with respect to each other. Another object is to provide means for varying the frictional engagement of a pair of spring pressed transmission friction disks on opposite sides of the centers of driving and driven disks whereby the trac-' tioneifort may be reduced to M1 to permit free sliding movement of the movable change speed disk, and regulated to increase the effectiveness of the driving power.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. The invention primarily resides in a pair of transmission friction disks arranged to engage a driving disk and a driven disk on opposite sides of the centers thereof, and means for shifting the driven disk on a shaft to be driven in such relation to the pair of friction disks as to vary the speed and direction of rotation of the driven shaft in relation to the driving shaft, and means for varying the frictional engagement of the transmission disks.

Figurel is a plan view of the power-propelled vehicle, showingthe invention as applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of the invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 4: is a detailshowing a modified form of the invention.

More specifically, 5 indicates a vehicle frame supported upon front and rear axles 6 and 7 respectively, provided with front wheels 8 and rear wheels 9; the rear axle 7 being tubular and containing a drive shaft connected with the wheels 9 and fitted with the usual differential gears arranged in a casing 10 on the rear axle, which differential gears connect with the driven shaft 11 sup: ported in suitable bearings and extending longitudinally of the frame 5, preferably in longitudinal alinement with the driving shaft 12 of an engine 14 of any suitable character.

The essence of the present invention resides in a means for transmitting rotary movement from the driving shaft 12 to the driven shaft 11 by which the latter may be rotated in either direction and at a variable speed in relation to the drive shaft 12 through the medium of a novel arrangement of friction disks, whereby the vehicle may be propelled in either direction at variable speeds.

The preferred construction of the friction transmission means is as follows: Rigidly mounted on the driving shaft 12 is a friction disk 15 and slidably mounted on a squared portion of the driven shaft 11 is a corresponding friction disk 16 which is adapted to be shifted longitudinally of the driven shaft toward and away from the friction disk 15 by means of a lever 17 fulcrumed at any suitable point and having the usual pin and slot connection with a ring 18 carried in a groove on a hub 19 on the friction disk 16. Disposed on opposite sides of the friction disks 15 and 16 is a pair of transmission friction disks 20 and 21 supported upon stud shafts 22 and 23 revolubly mounted in bearings 24 and 25; the trans mission friction disks 20 and 21 having their parallel faces adapted to be held in frictional engagement with the peripheral edges of the friction disks 15 and 16 by means of springs 26 and 27, which bear between the disks 20 and 21, and sleeves 28 and 29 revolubly and slidably mounted on the stud shafts 22 and 23. The springs 26 and 27 are so tensioned that when the sleeves 28 and 29 are in their normal rearmost position the pressure exerted thereby on the disks 20 and 21 will not be sufficient to frictionallyengage the latter with disks 15 and 16. The sleeves 28 and 29 are provided with inclined faces 30 and 31 which abut against corresponding inclined faces formed on the bearings 24 and 25 and are normally held thereagainst by the action of the springs 26"an-d- 27. The sleeves 28 and 29 are designed to be turned in unison on the stud shafts 22 and 23 so as to cause them to be advanced or retracted by reason of the inclined faces 30 and 81 riding over the inclined faces of the bear havi'n lever arms 341 and 35 ri idly mount" ed thereon, the outer ends of which are attached to: connecting rods 36 and 37 connected with yokes 38 and 39 engaging the sleeves 28 and 29 by means of pins 46' and 41,

It will be seen that the friction disks 2'0 and 21 will bear equally against the oppo-v site sides of the friction disks 15 and 16 when subjeeted to pressure through the s blings 2'6 and 27, so that when the friction disk 15 is rotated the friction disks 20 and will be rotated therewith and will in turn efteeathe rotation of the friction disk 16 a and the driven shaft 11. When is desired 56' town-y the speed of rotation,of the driven shaft ll in relation to, the driving shaft 12, the friction disk 16 is shifted through the medium of the leve1 17 to various positions in relation to the centers of the friction disks 20 and 21, thereby varying the speed of ro-' tation of the friction disk 16 in relation to the disks 20 and 21, as is, common in friction drii ing mechanism. lVhen' it is desired to stop the rotation of the driven shaft 11, the transmission friction disks 20 and 21. are disposed out of frictional engagement with the friction disks 15 and 16 so that the frictiondisk 16 and drive shaft 11 will not be rotated on rotation of the disk 15; the disks 20' and 21 being thus operated by retracting as sleeves 2e and 29. To reverse the direction of rotationof the driven shaft 11 the friction disk 16 is moved to the opposite side of the centers of the friction disks 20 and 21 as is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2;, the speed of reversed rotation of the shaft 11 bein varied according to the distance of he, disk 16 from the center of the disks 20 and 21. 1 I

In event of a tendency of the friction disks 15 and 16 to slide in relation to the friction disks 20 and 21, as might vbe occasioned when the driven shaft 11is subjected to an une'bpies (if this patent inay be Obtained for erted on the friction disks 20 and 21 by the springs 26 and 27. i

By providing the opposite friction disks "usual load, the frictional engagement of the 20 and 21 power will be transmitted to the V driven friction disk 16 equally on opposite sides thereof, thrust-s. p l

It is manife t that the arrangement'of the various friction disks in relation to each other is subject to modification, such, for.

instance, as illustrated in in'which the friction disk 15 onthe 3 drive shaft is illustrated as engaging the peripheral edges of the spring-pressed friction disks 20 and 21; the latter thus bearing solely against the shiftablefriction disk '16- and the driving frictiondisk 15, which in this instance is keyed onthe shaft 12, is held engagement with the disks 20 and 21' by means a spring -12. It is; also manifest that Willie I have described the driven disk as shiftable, thfe driv ng disk or both the-driving'and driven disks may be so mounted as to be shiftable separately or in =iinison. By the arraiigement herein set forth thefltransmitted power is taken from opposite sidesof the drivingshaft and delivered to opposite sides thereby obviating lateral of the driven shaft-so as to eqiia'liZe-thedis- 7 tribution of force'sl hat I claim is: a In a friction change speed mechanism,the combination with driving shaft and a drivenshaft, or a friction disk slidably mouiited on one ofsaid shafts, a friction 7 disk slidably mounted on and rotatable with the other shaft, a pair of corresponding transmission friction disks arranged on opposite sides of the centers of the' before men tioned disks, stud shafts secured to each of said last mentioned pair of friction disks, helical springs ounted about each stud shaft, sleeves having 'inc'linedfac'es rotatably mounted on each stud shaft, bearing caps provided with inelinedfaces, and means to rotat said sleeves.

In witness that have hereunto subscribed name this 23rd dayof January, 1914.

WVitnesses i IiIARGUERITiE BATES, Manna BATTEY.

Washington, 1). d, I

I claim as rangmg 1* JAY WRAY. .1 

